--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Combination is a soul of chess." description: "\"Combination is a soul of chess.\" — Alexander Alekhine" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d0/alexander-alekhine-17228_chess_combination-is-a-soul-of-chess-754534_754534.jpg" --- # Combination is a soul of chess. ![“Combination is a soul of chess.” quote by Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d0/alexander-alekhine-17228_chess_combination-is-a-soul-of-chess-754534_754534.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d0/alexander-alekhine-17228_chess_combination-is-a-soul-of-chess-754534_754534.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d0/alexander-alekhine-17228_chess_combination-is-a-soul-of-chess-754534_754534.jpg) > “Combination is a soul of chess.” [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Chess thrives when pieces work together; synergy creates strength beyond individual moves. **In simple terms:** Teamwork makes chess stronger. Key Takeaway Focus on coordination. Themes strategy synergy competition Mood focused analytical Type instructional motivational When to use this quote - tournament play - training sessions - coaching - team events Key Concepts tactics cooperation holistic thinking Questions to Reflect On - How can you foster collaboration in your games? - What benefits does synergy bring? A Different Perspective Solo play can also develop personal skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) ## Related quotes > [The sound of the '90s, to me, is a combination of soul and street - it's a feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/the-sound-of-the-90s-to-me-is-a-combination-of-soul-and-street-it-s-a/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [The pawn is the soul of chess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-andre-danican-philidor/the-pawn-is-the-soul-of-chess/) [Francois-Andre Danican Philidor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-andre-danican-philidor/) > [The majority of people imagine a chess master as being a townsman who passes his life in an atmosphere of smoke and play in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reti/the-majority-of-people-imagine-a-chess-master-as-being-a-townsman-who/) [Richard Reti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reti/) > [I can remember a case where Capablanca worked out an impressive combination, but then chose to make a simple move in answer to which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-kotov/i-can-remember-a-case-where-capablanca-worked-out-an-impressive/) [Alexander Kotov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-kotov/) > [Tal's combinations often exert a sort of paralysing influence on the opponent's play. It would seem that the element of surprise plays a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-taimanov/tal-s-combinations-often-exert-a-sort-of-paralysing-influence-on-the/) Mark Taimanov > [The range of circumstances in which it is possible to presuppose the presence of a combination is very limited. The presence of such circumstances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-lasker/the-range-of-circumstances-in-which-it-is-possible-to-presuppose-the/) [Emanuel Lasker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-lasker/) > [After a great deal of discussion in Soviet literature about the correct definition of a combination, it was decided that from the point of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-kotov/after-a-great-deal-of-discussion-in-soviet-literature-about-the/) [Alexander Kotov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-kotov/) > [A thorough understanding of the typical mating continuations makes the most complicated sacrificial combinations leading up to them not only not difficult, but almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siegbert-tarrasch/a-thorough-understanding-of-the-typical-mating-continuations-makes/) [Siegbert Tarrasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siegbert-tarrasch/) > [When I am trying to understand the method of winning in the endgame with two bishops against the knight, chess is a science, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashot-nadanian/when-i-am-trying-to-understand-the-method-of-winning-in-the-endgame/) [Ashot Nadanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashot-nadanian/) > [The infallible criterion by which to distinguish the true from the would-be strategist is the degree of originality of his conceptions. It makes little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/the-infallible-criterion-by-which-to-distinguish-the-true-from-the/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [I did not believe I was superior to him. Perhaps the chief reason for his defeat was the overestimation of his own powers arising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/i-did-not-believe-i-was-superior-to-him-perhaps-the-chief-reason-for/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [Never before and never since have I seen - and I cannot even imagine, such an amazing rapidity of chess thinking that Capablanca possessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/never-before-and-never-since-have-i-seen-and-i-cannot-even-imagine/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [Play on both sides of the board is my favourite strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/play-on-both-sides-of-the-board-is-my-favourite-strategy/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [I study chess eight hours a day, on principle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/i-study-chess-eight-hours-a-day-on-principle/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [Playing for complications is an extreme measure that a player should adopt only when he cannot find a clear and logical plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/playing-for-complications-is-an-extreme-measure-that-a-player-should/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) ## More by Alexander Alekhine > [Playing for complications is an extreme measure that a player should adopt only when he cannot find a clear and logical plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/playing-for-complications-is-an-extreme-measure-that-a-player-should/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [I study chess eight hours a day, on principle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/i-study-chess-eight-hours-a-day-on-principle/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [Play on both sides of the board is my favourite strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/play-on-both-sides-of-the-board-is-my-favourite-strategy/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [The fact that a player is very short of time is, to my mind, as little to be considered an excuse as, for instance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/the-fact-that-a-player-is-very-short-of-time-is-to-my-mind-as-little/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [The purpose of human life and the sense of happiness is to give the maximum what the man is able to give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/the-purpose-of-human-life-and-the-sense-of-happiness-is-to-give-the/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [Never before and never since have I seen - and I cannot even imagine, such an amazing rapidity of chess thinking that Capablanca possessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/never-before-and-never-since-have-i-seen-and-i-cannot-even-imagine/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [I did not believe I was superior to him. Perhaps the chief reason for his defeat was the overestimation of his own powers arising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/i-did-not-believe-i-was-superior-to-him-perhaps-the-chief-reason-for/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [The infallible criterion by which to distinguish the true from the would-be strategist is the degree of originality of his conceptions. It makes little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/the-infallible-criterion-by-which-to-distinguish-the-true-from-the/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [During a chess tournament a master must envisage himself as a cross between an ascetic monk and a beast of prey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/during-a-chess-tournament-a-master-must-envisage-himself-as-a-cross/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [For my victory over Capablanca I am indebted primarily to my superiority in the field of psychology. Capablanca played, relying almost exclusively on his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/for-my-victory-over-capablanca-i-am-indebted-primarily-to-my/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [You can become a big master in chess only if you see your mistakes and short-comings. Exactly the same as in life itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/you-can-become-a-big-master-in-chess-only-if-you-see-your-mistakes/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [Chess will always be the master of us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/chess-will-always-be-the-master-of-us-all/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [I consider chess an art, and accept all those responsibilities which art places upon its devotees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/i-consider-chess-an-art-and-accept-all-those-responsibilities-which/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [Oh! this opponent, this collaborator against your will, whose notion of beauty always differs from yours and whose means are often too limited for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/oh-this-opponent-this-collaborator-against-your-will-whose-notion-of/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [Capablanca was snatched too early from the chess world. With his death we have lost a great chess genius, the like of whom we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/capablanca-was-snatched-too-early-from-the-chess-world-with-his-death/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) [Explore all 37 Alexander Alekhine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) ## More Chess quotes > [I have known many chess players, but among them there has been only one genius - Capablanca!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-lasker/i-have-known-many-chess-players-but-among-them-there-has-been-only/) [Emanuel Lasker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-lasker/) > [Real chessplayers think about chess more or less 24 hours a day. It is a passion and a fate that one has to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simen-agdestein/real-chessplayers-think-about-chess-more-or-less-24-hours-a-day-it-is/) Simen Agdestein > [It's interesting that the greatest minds of computer science, the founding fathers, like Alan Turing and Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, they all looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/it-s-interesting-that-the-greatest-minds-of-computer-science-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [“Relationships are chess for women," he said. "They can see the whole board, plan way ahead. They're the queens, after all. We're the kings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-lippman/relationships-are-chess-for-women-he-said-they-can-see-the-whole/) [Laura Lippman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lippman/) > [The election of Trump threw the chess board up. The pieces are all over the place. That's upsetting to a lot of people, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-rubin/the-election-of-trump-threw-the-chess-board-up-the-pieces-are-all/) [Dave Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-rubin/) > [Playing for complications is an extreme measure that a player should adopt only when he cannot find a clear and logical plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/playing-for-complications-is-an-extreme-measure-that-a-player-should/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [“the shadows. “Why do you think they invented chess?” “He’s got you there,” said the captain, following Fletcher. Jake jogged slightly to catch up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-blake/the-shadows-why-do-you-think-they-invented-chess-he-s-got-you-there/) [Russell Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-blake/) > [ \[Photographer Julian Wasser\] had this great idea that I should play chess naked with Marcel Duchamp and it seem to be such a great… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-babitz/photographer-julian-wasser-had-this-great-idea-that-i-should-play/) [Eve Babitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-babitz/) > [Chess is a good mistress but a bad master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-abrahams/chess-is-a-good-mistress-but-a-bad-master/) [Gerald Abrahams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-abrahams/) > [I am not some sort of freak. I might be very good at chess but I'm just a normal person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magnus-carlsen/i-am-not-some-sort-of-freak-i-might-be-very-good-at-chess-but-i-m/) [Magnus Carlsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magnus-carlsen/) > [Some sacrifices are sound; the rest are mine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-tal/some-sacrifices-are-sound-the-rest-are-mine/) [Mikhail Tal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-tal/) > [My parents were very supportive of my chess. When I got home after a game of chess, having missed school or something, they always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viswanathan-anand/my-parents-were-very-supportive-of-my-chess-when-i-got-home-after-a/) [Viswanathan Anand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viswanathan-anand/) > [Amberley excelled at chess - a mark, Watson, of a scheming mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/amberley-excelled-at-chess-a-mark-watson-of-a-scheming-mind/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [In high school, my sister went out with the captain of the chess team. My parents loved him... They figured that any guy that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kiley/in-high-school-my-sister-went-out-with-the-captain-of-the-chess-team/) [Brian Kiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kiley/) > [The King is a fighting piece. Use it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-steinitz/the-king-is-a-fighting-piece-use-it/) [Wilhelm Steinitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-steinitz/) [Browse all 2,003 Chess quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Combination is a soul of chess.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexander Alekhine" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/combination-is-a-soul-of-chess/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chess" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/combination-is-a-soul-of-chess/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d0/alexander-alekhine-17228_chess_combination-is-a-soul-of-chess-754534_754534.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d0/alexander-alekhine-17228_chess_combination-is-a-soul-of-chess-754534_754534.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d0/alexander-alekhine-17228_chess_combination-is-a-soul-of-chess-754534_754534.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Combination is a soul of chess.” — Alexander Alekhine", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alexander Alekhine", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Combination is a soul of chess.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/combination-is-a-soul-of-chess/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/combination-is-a-soul-of-chess/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```